People looking to become Luthiers (aka Guitar Makers) typically start out as Apprentices or Assistants to a professional Luthier. This way, they get hands-on experience, which is important in such a hands-on profession. Plus, you learn to make guitars that you can then play once they’re done.

Most Luthiers also go through some sort of higher education or online course. Matt Rubendall, a professional Luthier, went to a six-week lutherie school. There, he says, they trained people to work in the big guitar-making factories, like Martin or Taylor.

But he says nowadays, people prefer to spend much more time learning and getting educated to either work for a small guitar shop, start their own Luthier business, or just do it on the side.

The classes at lutherie school vary, just like any continuing education in the music industry. You can select the courses that interest you most and build your own set of skills.

Some examples of classes you may take include:

• Acoustic guitar making
• Electric guitar making
• Bass guitar making
• Contemporary guitar making
• Setup, maintenance & basic repair
• Fresh polishing
• Fretwork
• Guitar design

Obviously, these are just the general classes and concepts that are typically available. Once you start the coursework, you’ll realize there’s a world of knowledge within each of these.

Just to give you an example, let’s go through what you’ll learn in a basic Luthier course. This would be a 101-level class. An introductory lesson, you could say.

Here you’ll learn about how to correctly set up the strings, bridge, and guitar top. You’ll need to know how the whole stringing system works, what string energy is, and how the top converts string energy into audible sounds.

Once you know the physics of how a guitar works, you’ll learn about the main components of the guitar. You’ll learn how to use these components to shape the tone and refine the responsiveness of the guitar.

You’ll learn about using the proper scale length (the distance between the nut and the saddle). This is super important in controlling the tones of the final finished guitar. You’ll also get educated on other aspects related to tone and intonation.

The nut and saddle are big factors in the tone of your guitar and its design, especially when it comes to choosing the materials to use.

There’s so much to learn about the guitar bridge that you can spend an entire section of a class on it. You’ll learn how to use the bridge’s full potential to make the guitar more playable and the tone more beautiful.

The shape of the neck is one of the most important things that determine the playability and intonation of a guitar. And you’ll need to understand the neck’s geometry and materials.

If you want to be a successful Luthier, you have to develop good problem-solving skills. You’ll have to find and diagnose problems and also be able to face unexpected issues as they arise.

Being able to collect, measure, and analyze data on your guitars will allow you to get better at making more advanced designs.

Knowing the relationship between bridge height and neck relief is another crucial piece of knowledge to have if you want to be a good Luthier. Knowing this allows you to make the most effective adjustments to get the best playability.

What is it that makes a guitar NOT as playable as it could be? Knowing the answer to this question (or knowing how to find the answer) is something else you’ll need to know.

If you want to go to an actual Luthier school and take a comprehensive course, tuition could cost you between $15,000 to $20,000, not including the $1,000 or so you’d spend on tools.

You can also go the online course route if you’re looking to save money. There are actually lots of online courses created and curated by professional Luthiers.

The cheapest way to learn is by reading books and watching videos online. Just to be real, this is probably the least desirable way. However, it is possible to pull this off if you follow it up with an apprenticeship at a local guitar shop.

After earning an education as a Luthier, you’ll most likely want to find an experienced professional who will let you be their Apprentice. From there, you can continue working for a mom-and-pop guitar shop, work for a big-name guitar-making company (like Martin or Taylor), or you could even start your own business.

If you venture out on your own, you’ll probably need to make custom guitars (Rubendall hand makes 6-10 guitars a year) and also do a lot of restorations and repairs. And you’ll most likely need to sell guitars both in-person and online.

Whatever path you choose, you must do it because you love it, not because of the money.

“It’s a profession where there’s hardly any money in it and people are doing it because they love it,” Rubendall says.

But he says this creates a Luthier community that’s super tight-knit, whether it’s a beginner looking to learn more or fellow experts helping each other out.

“If some kid wants to come in, I will show him every single thing I do,” he says. “That’s what’s great about Instrument Makers, I think. A lot of them are really eager to help people and offer advice.”

He goes on to say this isn’t a skill you just pick up. It’s not something you should just Google once and feel like you’ve got it down. It’s a craft that takes a lot of TLC.

“I think people are looking for a quick fix, the internet way of ‘I can learn this — there must be a step A-Z [tutorial],’” he says. “But that’s not the case.”

Because a Luthier’s salary can be as little as $15,000 (the average is $52,000 a year), it can be tough for some people to justify paying for Luthier school. However, consider how inexpensive an education in lutherie is compared to your typical college education.

So if you love working with guitars, going to lutherie school may be a great choice for you.

In the United States, you can expect to make between $30,000 to $50,000. But obviously, you could make a lot less or a lot more. It all depends on your drive to be great and your knowledge of running a business.

A luthier’s income can really vary depending on the situation. It depends on things like how skilled they are, their reputation, where they’re located, and what kind of luthier work they do.

Some luthiers can make a decent income, while others might struggle a bit to make ends meet. Honestly, being a luthier is more about the love of the craft rather than trying to make a bunch of money.

If you’re just starting out, you might not make a ton of money right away. It takes time to build up your skills, reputation, and client list. But as you get more experience and people start recognizing your talent, you can start charging higher prices for your work.

Where you’re located also makes a difference. If you’re in a music city, you have a much better chance of making a decent living.

Being a luthier may also include being good at the business side of things, unless you work as an employee for an already established luthier. If you’re building your own business, you’ll have to know the ins and outs of running a business.